April 10-14, 2022 Ruby Mountain Bible Church Spring Creek NV We had a beautiful drive from California to the state of Nevada. We got to stop by Lake Tahoe on the way before we arrived at Ruby Mountain Bible Church. We loved our first service on Sunday with these sweet people. That evening we had a fun time together as a team participating in our annual Master’s Tournament. Throughout the week, we had regular services on Monday and Tuesday evening. We loved talking with people both before and after the services. Wednesday night was so much fun as we had a Family Fun Night. It’s always sweet to see a church family have fun together! Our last service of the week was an Irish Concert. There were several visitors and we’re rejoicing with those who received Christ! It was also special for us since it was the last Irish concert for us this year. We loved our time at Ruby Mountain Bible Church and the relationships that we formed there. We’re praying for God to continue His work there. April 15-16, 2022 Desert Youth Rally On Friday and Saturday, we had a unique opportunity to have a teen retreat weekend with several sister churches. One of which was Grace Baptist where we would minister at the following week. We did several different games and sessions both Friday night and Saturday morning. Please be in prayer for the teens who were in attendance and for the seeds that were sown, watered, or harvested this weekend. April 17-22, 2022
Grace Baptist Church Elko, NV After the teen activity with Ruby Mountain on Saturday, we headed across town to set up at our last church for the semester, Grace Baptist. Sunday was such a sweet Resurrection Day service. We loved worshiping our risen Lord with these sweet believers and got to rejoice with two believers who were baptized. What a sweet visible testimony of the resurrection and Christ’s work in our lives! We then had regular services Monday-Wednesday with teen presessions beforehand. We enjoyed the fellowship before and after the services. On Thursday night, we did our last Family Fun Night of the semester. What a fun way to end our last service and to also enjoy fellowship with this church body. We loved our time at Grace and will continue to pray for the ministry here to continue to grow.
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April 3-8, 2022
Faith Baptist Church Folsom, CA After an enjoyable two week Spring Break, we came back together to serve our last church in California. We loved getting to know the sweet people of Faith Baptist this week as we partnered in ministry together. On Sunday we worshiped together in both the morning and evening services. We loved talking and getting to know people before and after the services. Before the services, we had time with the teens in presessions. It was fun getting to know the teens at Faith and invest in their lives this week. Monday and Tuesday nights were special nights in that we got to fellowship afterwards with sweet people and be encouraged by their testimonies. In fact, Pastor Ron made our week unique by encouraging his people to get to know us as well by asking us various questions. It definitely made our week very special! Wednesday night we did an Irish concert. There were so many church members who invited unsaved friends and family, and prayers were answered as so many came! Many heard the gospel that night and we’re praising the Lord for working in hearts! After the concert, we enjoyed an ice cream fellowship with the church. What a special time to fellowship with people after a sweet week of ministry. We also had multiple opportunities to be loved by this sweet church this week. On Tuesday night, Pastor Ron took our team out for ice cream and an escape room. That was so much fun to do all together! There were also smaller ways that Pastor Ron specifically ministered to our hearts as a team this week. What a sweet reminder that God can use people to bless and be an encouragement to others. We loved our time at Faith Baptist and are excited to see how God continues to work and bless this ministry in Folsom, California. March 20
Grace Bible Church Murrieta, CA Right before our team began spring break, we did a day of ministry with Grace Bible Church. We loved doing a few specials during the morning service, but it was a special treat to all be under Pastor Lovegrove’s preaching. During their Sunday school hour, we did our Romans 8 Singspiration. We especially love that service since it’s encouraging truth coupled with response in song with the congregation or a special. It's such a sweet service both for us as a team and the people. Sunday afternoon our team spent time with the teens of Grace Bible. Our team had a special opportunity to have a panel discussion. There were various questions which included what God has taught us while traveling, what we loved about traveling, what was hard about traveling, and what we would go back and change about ourselves as a teenager. It was a special time to share our hearts with the teens. Even though we were only at Grace Bible for a day, our team was encouraged by Pastor Tim, his family, and members at Grace. We loved hearing about what God has done at this church, and are looking forward to seeing Him continue to work there in Murrieta. March 13-18
First Baptist Church Santa Maria, CA We loved our time with the people of First Baptist. We loved worshiping with them on Sunday and throughout the week. We enjoyed being able to fellowship with people before and after the services and the Irish Concert on Wednesday night. We had several ways that we got to interact with the kids and teens this week. Not only did we hold a Children’s Program each night during the services, but Phil and Mike both spoke in school chapels throughout the week. We also interacted with the teens during the pre-session on Sunday night. Throughout the week, Hudson and Aaron spoke in the school chapels throughout the week which all lead up to the Dodgeball Tournament on Friday night. We had several teens come out that night. We also loved the opportunity to talk to the parents who stayed around to watch their kids play. This week we enjoyed several opportunities to spend time together as a team. On Monday night after the service, we celebrated Mike and Phil’s birthday. We’re so thankful for them both and what they each add to our team. On Thursday night since we didn’t have a regular service, we were invited over for dinner at a sweet family’s home. The tri-tip steak was amazing of course, but it was a special treat to be able to spend time with them and learn about different health tips. We’re thankful for the sweet week of ministry with the people of First Baptist. Thankful for the opportunity to partner alongside them for the kingdom! March 6-11
Crossway Baptist Church Bakersfield, CA We had such a special and unique week at Crossway. Our week looked a little different than some weeks, but our hearts were encouraged and we loved partnering in ministry with these sweet people. Sunday morning worship was so refreshing. There was a special joy in the singing and it caused our hearts to be overwhelmed with thankfulness & worship to our Savior. Sunday night we did a Family Fun Night which was so much fun! Every Monday night, Crossway holds a special young adults night, so it was really special for our team to be included in that. They loved getting to know others their age and spend time in the Word together. It was joy to see a church that had a ministry to the young adults in their church and community. Tuesday evening was a men’s night. The men loved getting together at a church member’s home. The men loved fellowshipping over good food of course, but also spending time in the Word. There were several visitors, so be in prayer for those who need Jesus. Wednesday evening we had an evening off, so our team enjoyed spending time with one of the life groups. They took them out for dinner and talked for several hours. It was such a sweet blessing. Thursday night was a special treat for the ladies. Not only was it a chocolate cafe, but they learned how to arrange flowers. What a sweet time of fellowship with the ladies there and to learn from God’s Word. There were also visitors there as well, and one of them accepted Christ as her Savior at the end of the night! What a sweet gift to be able to witness fruit from prayer and inviting! Friday night was a fun night with the teens. There were several teens from a high school in the area, so be in prayer for them and others who were visiting that night. After the Cola War, we enjoyed fellowship with the Brocks and the host families. What a really sweet way to end the week. This week was very special. It began with our trailer being stolen on Saturday night, but the Lord taught us all so many things that week. It was a sweet week together as a team as the Lord taught us various lessons to us individually, but it was also a sweet week with the people at Crossway. It was encouraging to see all the different ways that this church is intentionally growing with each other. February 27-March 4, 2022
Life Point Baptist Church Apple Valley, CA We had a wonderful first week in the state of California! It was so sweet to reconnect with some dear friends we served with at Inter-City Baptist Church in Detroit, and be able to partner together in ministry for a week. We loved being able to worship with this dear church family on Sunday and in services throughout the week. Before each of the services, the team connected with the teens and youth leaders in precession. It’s always fun to have a special time of connection with the teens. Tuesday night was a sweet and special evening for the ladies at the Chocolate Charcuterie night. It was particularly encouraging to see all the women who came out to this event to fellowship, and bring their friends to hear the Gospel. The women of the church put this event on, so our lady team members helped in the nursery, facilitating games, and sharing a message. Please continue to pray for the hearts of the ladies that were in attendance that night who need Jesus as their Savior. Wednesday was a special evening in which we saw a local body of Christ have fun with each other. Before the service began, people gathered outside to play nine-square, volleyball, or just talk. What a fun way to begin a Family Fun Night! It was so much fun to play games and have challenges with these believers. Laughing with local churches and encouraging them in unity is such a treat. On Thursday evening, the Irish Concert was a great way to end a sweet week. We loved serving with the people of Life Point this week. But it was particularly special since we got to serve alongside dear friends and family. Natalie’s brother, Tim, is on staff there, so it was a special week with family as well. We ended the week with a fun off day as some of the team went skiing together. On Saturday morning before our team left, we all sang a special song for a family who lost a loved one. It was a special and unique way to be a blessing to this sweet family friend of ours and those on staff at Life Point. February 20-25, 2022
Westside Baptist Church St. George, Utah We had a beautiful drive from Arizona to the beautiful state of Utah. We loved worshiping with the believers at Westside on Sunday and enjoyed meeting guests on Sunday evening at the Irish Concert. Before each of the evening services, there was a pre-session for the teens. It was a good opportunity to connect with them and also encourage them to invite others for the Cola War we had on Wednesday night. We had about 30 teens come out for that which was such an encouragement for this church. We loved watching them play all the games, including a fun trivia game. Please be in prayer for the seeds that were sown or watered that evening and for the youth staff who follows up! Not only did we have an event for the teens this week, but we also had men’s and ladies nights.. On Thursday night the men got together for a bring-your-own-knife steak night. The men of course loved eating their tri-tip cut steak with their own unique knives and participating in the man quiz. Several men from the church came out, but there were also many Mormons who also came! We were so excited to see visitors there to hear the Gospel. On Friday night then, the ladies had a fun time at their charcuterie board night. They loved eating and fellowshipping together while getting to know each other better while playing Bingo. Steph Coffey shared a message from Luke about how Jesus came to seek and save the lost. It was a sweet night of fellowship for the ladies. Please be in prayer for the gospel seeds that were either sown or watered this week at Westside. We loved getting to know the sweet people at this church this week. Not only was it a special week of ministry, but some of the team got to hike the famous Angel’s Landing in Zion. What a beautiful way to observe and experience God’s creation and omnipotence! February 13-18, 2022
Northwest Valley Baptist Church Glendale, AZ Our last week in Arizona was at Northwest Valley Baptist Church. After being at Berean Baptist the week before and hearing their plans to build a new church, it was neat to be at a church that had recently built a beautiful new building to accommodate the growth they’ve been having. We held regular services on Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday which included music, preaching, and a kid's program. Monday evening we had free which was a gift for those in the church and the team to celebrate Valentine’s Day. This week we had several unique opportunities to connect with the kids and teens in this church and school. Not only did we have kid’s programs and teen pre-sessions, but Aaron, Hudson, and Phil also had opportunities to preach in chapels at the Christian school. It was fun to get to know the students at the school better, but it was also fun to reconnect with some of the kids that we previously ministered with at Evangelical Baptist Church. We had more specific connecting points with the teens this week. On Wednesday afternoon, our team, along with about 15 teens, went canvassing at a local high school and middle school for the Dodgeball Tournament we would have on Thursday. The Dodgeball Tournament that we had on Thursday was the biggest tournament we’ve had on team! There were around 100 teens there who not only played Dodgeball, but got to hear the good news of the Gospel! We’re praising the Lord for working in the hearts of those teens to bring them to the tournament and to have good conversations afterwards as well. Please be in prayer as God continues to work in hearts even after we’ve left. Friday evening we had an Irish Concert. It was a fun way to end a special week at this church. We loved our time here. We were encouraged by the pastoral staff and so many members of this church. This was also a special week in that family got to come visit. It was a special treat for Phil’s parents to be here most of the week with our team, and Steph Wright’s uncle came to the Irish Concert. We had a fun last week in AZ exploring, hiking, and even scorpion hunting. We’re praising Him for the work He’s done in Arizona! February 6-11, 2022
Berean Baptist Church San Tan Valley, AZ Our second week in Arizona was in San Tan Valley at Berean Baptist Church. We enjoyed meeting and getting to know the people in this sweet church. Before and after each service there were so many different conversations that we engaged in. The bond believers share in Christ is so special. One thing that was super neat was to see the growth of this church. Each service was full and bursting at the seams! It’s exciting to hear about a church’s plans to raise money and build a new building for the growth that’s occurring. It was sweet to worship and minister alongside this body of believers. Each evening before the services we had pre-sessions with the teens to help establish better relationships with them. What a sweet group! We loved their habit of sharing praises and prayer requests with each other. It was a beautiful picture of how the body of Christ rejoices and hurts together. On Friday night then, we had a mini Cola War which was a really fun way to get to know the teens better and have good conversations with them before and afterwards. On Wednesday evening we did an Irish Concert. It was so much fun to perform a concert with this body. Right before the children got dismissed, we got to hear a testimony from a church member who told us of his daughter accepting Christ as her Savior. Praise the Lord! It’s a joy to partner with parents as we teach the Word in the children’s program. Thursday was a special day in that we got to do a few unique things. In the morning, Hudson led music and Aaron preached at a morning Bible study that the church holds. There were not only church members there, but also some people from the community. Then later that day, some of the team had the opportunity to go hiking and enjoy God’s creation. That evening, the family who housed the guys on our team hosted all of us over for dinner. Their hospitality to us was so kind, and the fellowship was so sweet! At the end of the evening, we all sat around the fire and sang praise to our Savior. What a unique way to praise and worship our Savior with believers that we meet along our journey to our final destination. We were thankful to serve alongside of Berean Baptist in San Tan Valley, AZ! January 30-February 4, 2022 The Evangelical Church Phoenix, AZ After our time in New Mexico, we headed to Arizona. Our first church in this state this semester was The Evangelical Church. This was a particularly sweet week in that most of the congregation’s first language was Spanish. Even though we couldn’t always understand each other, there was a sweetness in each conversation and an evidence of a bond in our Savior! A particular sweet part of the services was that during the congregational worship, there was both English and Spanish singing. It was a beautiful glimpse of what heaven will be like when people from all tribes and tongues will bow in worship to our Lord! It was a particular blessing too to be able to learn and sing a song to this sweet congregation in their native Spanish language. Seeing their eyes light up as truth was being sung to them in Spanish was so sweet and special! We had regular services Sunday through Tuesday. It was so sweet to see Aaron and Pastor Steve Rubio preach together. Pastor Steve translated for each of the services for the adults. But before each service, we had precessions with the teens. Other than the kid’s program this we, the teens were a group in this church that we got to really invest in. In fact, on Wednesday, we had a teen activity night. We played some fun new games like twists on Dodgeball and Big Ball Volleyball! Afterwards, we did a Family Fun Night with the church family. It was so much fun to end this week with this night! This church family really got into the games and it was so much fun to laugh with these fellow Spanish believers. We loved our time with the people of The Evangelical Church. There were many sweet connections that we made throughout the week, despite the language barrier. God used this week to help stretch all of us and give a new perspective on ministering to and with others that speak a different language than we do. What a sweet and unique week! |